WASHINGTON – A pre-school age child in Northern Virginia has died from the flu. And, the child’s death is Virginia’s first flu death this season.

Woodbridge Patch reports that the death of a child age 4 or under was reported to the Centers for Disease Control on Wednesday, according to Virginia Department of Health Deputy State Epidemiologist Dr. Laurie Forlano.

The CDC has already declared Virginia to have “widespread” flu, and also say that this year’s flu is striking younger, healthier people than the typical flu population – the elderly and small children.

While officials did not indicate the child’s hometown, the death occurred in the Northern Region, which consists of health departments in Loudoun, Arlington, Fairfax, Prince William, Rappahannock, Rappahannock/Rapidan and Lord Fairfax.

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